Dough-molding machine



May 12, 19,25.

Rm um wm Mm .M mm O D A frown/fyi l May 12, 1925.

y F. X. LAUTERBUR DOUGH MOLDING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1925.

PATENT oFFICE.

FRANK X. LAUTERBUR, OF SIDNEY, OHIO.

DOUGH-MOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed July 8, 1921. Serial No. 483,306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK X. LAUTER- BUR, a citizen of the'United States, and a resident of Sidney, in the county of Shelby and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dough- Molding Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to machinesfor molding a quantity of prepared dough into loaves or rolls of proper size for proofing and baking, and in its various parts makes a complete mechanism for making a loaf of desired size and shape. t Certain details of the frame and driving parts of my machine and the general plan gof my machine are closely related to that -machine of simpler formshown in my for- ,mer United States Patent No. 1,167,187, dated January 4, 1916. Q Among other objects in my present invention is the more complete and accurate relative adjustment of the receiving and sheet forming rolls, said adjustment being facilitated by a calibrated dial arrangement. Furthermore, the trip belt mechanism is not required to fulfill the duty of a sheet forming roll, and is given a wider range of adjustment, as will be noted.

In connection with the trip belt construction it is my object to make it in a frame part and an insert part, whereby the entire 'belt carrying device can be quickly withdrawn from the machine so as to give access to the other parts thereof for cleaning.

I have also as one of the main objects of my invention herein the production of a kneading element in. dough molding machines in which the coil or roll of dough is carried along over a suitably corrugated or wavy surface without extra pull or drag at the ends of the coil, whereby a final article with its ends perfectly straight can be readily produced. v

Thus I provide for a traveling base and traveling sides withsuitably fixed top members, which when they operate together on the coils or rolls of dough will preserve a straight line formation thereof throughout the kneading action.

I make the traveling sides adjustable for spacing and tension, and throughout the machine have endeavored to improve the ad'- justability and ease of manipulation of the parts.'

I accomplish my objects and other advantages to be noted by that certain construction and'arragement of parts to be hereinafter more claimed.

In the drawings,

specifically pointed out and 'l I Y l Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gear box of the machine showing two lines'of breakage to illustrate the rolls withinthe rolling portion of the machine and the gears` on a swinging frame at the far side of the machine from the gear box proper.

F igureQ is a detail elevation of thecalibrated dial.

Figure 3 is a central Vertical section taken through the machine.v

Figure 4 is a detail elevation of the trip belt devices broken away in part, and Figuse 4a is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 5' is anl end elevation of the adjusting devices for the receiving and sheet forming rolls.

. Figure 61s atop plan view of the knead-y ing devices, more particularly showing the traveling side wall devices.

Figure 7 is a section on the line7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring first to the portion 'of themachine which receives a measured quantity of dough and forms it into a coil, it will be noted that the lframe is indicated at l with a wall la between the main gear box and the interior of the mechanism, thereby removing danger of lubrication to the gears reaching the dough. v The main driving gear 2 in the gear box of the machine) is a large gear 4 that meshes with the power gear 5. The shaft 3 is the driver for the conveyor devices, and the 'is mounted on a shaft 3, on which (exterior other gears, to be described, accomplish the rest ofthe driving for the coil forming The large roll 11 is mounted on a shaft' l gears in-this portion of the machine are f carried on` swinging frames, said gears be ing adapted to'swing 1n a planetary man- 15 l scribed.

f Reverting 13 driven by the gear 13a meshing with the gear 2. The sheet vforming roll 9 is on a shaft Q14,v which iis driven by a gear 14u meshing With an idler 15 from the gear 13a. v

This idler also drives the shaft 16 through agear 16a, said shaft 16 serving to mount the other coil forming roll 12.

-The idler 17 connects the gear 14 with the gear '18 on the shaft 18 of the receiving roll 7 lAs' will be noted the remainder of thev ner varound. certain vof the gears' nowl deto vthey-receiving roll 8, the

sheet forming roll 10 and thecoil forming roll 12, it should be noted that a frame having side piecesv 19 and a cross plate 20 mounted to swing on the shaft 16 of the coil 1 formingroll 12. The shafts 8i and 10"L respectively of the rolls 8 and 10 are mounted to rotatev in the said side pieces 19, and said shafts carry gears on their ends opposite to the gear case proper.

Thus the shaft 16 carries 'a gear 21, which meshes with the gear 22 of the roll shaft 10a, while an idler 23 meshes with the vgear 24 on, the roll shaft 8a.

Since the companion rolls 'to and 10 are fixed in position, it ,is-apparent v that swinging of the frame pieces that carry Y said rolls 8 and 1() will alter at one and the same' motion, the distance between the said rollsv and their companion rolls such that if anne-sheet is desired for a piece of work, the receiving rolls will accomplish a partfof the thinning out and will deliver the sheet to the sheet forming rolls in a condition which'is morereadily reduced to the exact dimension -upright position enforced by required. s

`To accomplish this motion of the frameI `provide a shaft 25 extending across between the sides of the main trama-and .on this shaft mount apair of cams 26, which enga e thesides of the frame. Theframe natural y falls'into an inclined position with the'upper roll 8 tending to cause the frame to tip downwardly by gravity and thus the frame rests against these cams and will take the the cam contact. The shaft 25 extends out throughthe side of the main frame and is there equipped with acalibrated dial 27, which revolves under a pointer 28, said shaft having a suitable handle 29. 1 y

By this means the operator can gain a perfect adjustment ofthe thickness of sheet by following out directions as to tha/proper: calibration of the dial to be used `in anyohe v pieceof worlr. v.

the rolls v8 engaged rods 1.2, thereby maintaining both of them free of f l yat top. and bottom at. the depending edges thereof, as well as another cross bar 34 toward theupper end. In the latter cross bar are mounted a pair of spring rods34,

which carry a scraper 35.

The frame is journaled on the shaft 14 of5 the fixed sheet forming roll 9 and depends therefrom. A'pivoted rod 36 having an adjustable nut or head 37 is secured .to the up Y. per cross bar 33 and said nut .has Pins 38.;

carried on a loose collar thereon to engage notched plates 39 on the machineframe.'P The frame carries also -an idler `gear 40,

which meshes with the gear'41 on the shaft 14.' i

As in insert into the swinging frame I provide an open box frame structure 42 braced at 42a, which at its outer end hasA squared openings within which` are journaled boxes' 43 heldin place adjustably by threaded pins 44, which last extend across the openings.

A roll shaft carrying a; roll 45 is held in the said journals. Y The box-like insert lalso'carries a shaft 46,

which mounts a roll 47, 'said rolls 47 and 45 having a belt 48* s et around them.v The-shaft 46 has a' gear 46*3L 'on its end outside of the box frame member, which is to mesh with lie-idler 40 held on the swinging frame mem- To insert the box it is slid into the free end of the swinging frame and pushed inwardly until a latch pin 49 on the frame engages the outer wall of the box. When .this oef curs, the gears noted. will be in mesh and will act in a planetary manner with the gear 41, so that the belt will be moved when the machine is in operation.

- As a convenientvmethod of retaining thebox snugly in the swinging frame I may provide ribs 50 or langesalong the inner edge of the bottom frame pieces ofsaid box, which engage along the inside offlanges 51 extending in yfrom the side pieces of the swinging frame.

tripped out of the space between; said rolls due to its increase in diameter and carried along v'by the belt over a deectorl--plate 52 and to the conveyor in the kneading member of the machine.

The method of adjusting the position of the swinging frame forms part of another. .i-nvention, and is not claimed herein, but *itp will be noted particularly that the belt does no duty as a sheet formino'roll and has an adjusting range of considerable scope due to this fact. The scraper above noted is mounted in the swinging frameand removes sticky dough from the sheet forming roll The meadz'ng devices. In the present machine I have made a considerable departure from machines of the past by the provision of means to permit a full kneading of the coils of dough formed in the machine parts now described Without dragging the ends of the coilsbehind the lbalance thereof.

As in my former machines, I provide side bars 53 for the kneading frame or bed and a wavy plate or base 54, over whicha the coils vof dough must pass. I also provide a conveyor belt 55, which takes the dough rolls or coils, made as heretofore noted, and carries them along over the said wavybase, there being a pressure board 56, which forces the coils against the conveyor and thus againsty the base. 'A

This pressure board isset to the desired position over the conveyor dependent upon the thickness of the coils being run, as .is the present practice in machines of this type. l

Instead cffixe'd side boards set along the frame bars 53, I provide for movable side pieces and control their travel to exert just the correct drag on the coils of dough.

Thus I provide a set of rolls 57, which are to be. mounted perpendicularly over the base of the kneader, said rolls having shafts 58, which are set into boxes 59 so as to be held dependently therein.

'Theboxes 59 are mounted to slide at right angles to the roll axes in mounting plates 60, there being a keyed relation as at 6l.

Theplates 60 have slotted portions 61a,"

through which pass bolts 62 supported in the side bars 53 of the bed.

Over the rolls. of lwhich there are a pair at each end of the kneading device are-set flexible belts 628, preferably of thin saw- I blade steel, and the adjustment of the mounting plates is such that these belts will lie alongside of the edges of the conveyor.

It should be noted that the conveyor 55 is' held on rolls 63, 64, one at each end of the kneading device, and that a chain 64a mounted over suitable sprockets 65 energizes both rolls. y

The roll 63 is mounted directly on the i shaft 3 and the outer roll may have a shaft 65al which is adjustable as in my application for patent Serial No. 477 ,080, filed June I3', 1921i It is from thisl shaft 65a that the side belts are driven, there being beveled gear devices 66 on the lowerends of the shafts of the outer pair of upright rolls.

Connectin the sliding journal' boxes of the shafts o said upright rolls and extending along the sides of the kneading device bed are rods 67 connected by turn buckles 68 by means of which device the spacing of the rolls may be adjusted and the position of the driven rolls Hxed by the use of screws 69 that bear against the journal boxes of the freely turning or idler' perpendicular rolls.

When acoil Of'dough comes into the conveyor it meets the resistance of the pressure board, which causes it to revolve and presses it together with the conveyor against the wavy base piece. This action causes thecoils to revolve and travel at the Sametime, the travel not being as rapid as the movement of the conveyor belt.

By arranging the beveled gear devices 't properly I accomplish a slower movement of the side 'belts than' the movement of the conveyor, this side movementbeing as close as possible to the speed of travel ofthe coils of dough through the machine. Y

Thus the sides of the machine travel at the proper speed to make no drag either forward or rearward of the path of the coils and tend to preserve them in a strai ht line at all times. This provides a per ect coil ready forprooing,` which has not been possible in any type of lmeading device with which I am familiar.

To lubricate the side belts I providewellsn 70in'the frames 53 containing some oil noninjurious to dough and set into these wells wipers 71 which Contact with the outer surfacesofthe belts. Also set into pockets in the frames 53 are scraper blades 7 4 pivotally will accomplish thegbroad purpose' ofI my i invention in this regard. l

Neither do I desire failure to mentior equivalent structures throughout to bacon'- sidered` as' acting as a limitation to the raiige of usual equivalentsin the claims that folow. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

rolls and a pair of sheet, formi-ng rolls adapted to take a sheet of dough from 'the l. In a dough melder,y a, pail. rev Y receiving rolls,yone of each pair of rolls bein stationary and the other of each pair being adjustable to vary its space from its companion roll,.avswinging frame having its center beneath -the sheet forming roll, and both of said adjustable rolls mounted in said frame, and means for controlling the position of said 'fra-me, said frame and means constituting the adjusting devices for the said rolls, and said controlling means comprising a rotary member and a calibrated indicator to give readings of the nature of the adjustment.

2. In a dough molder, a pair of receiving rolls and a pair of sheet forming rolls adapted to take a sheet of dough from the receivf ing rolls, one ofeachpair of rolls being stationary andthe other of each pair being adjustable to vary its space from its companion roll, a swinging frame having its center beneath the sheet formingr roll, and bothl of said adjustable rolls mounted in said frame, and' means for controlling the position ofsaid frame, said frame and means constituting the adjusting devices for the said rolls, and said controlling means comfprising a cam or cams in Contact with said frame, a shaft carrying said cams, land a dial on said shaft calibrated to give readings of the nature of the adjustment.

3. In combination With a device for forming a coil of dough, a trip belt mechanism therefor, comprising an adjustab-le frame, an additional frame adapted to be demountliA ably secured inthe first mentioned frame, and a belt and devices for mo-ving'the saame l mounted in the said additional frame.

t; 4.-. In combination with a device for forming a`coil of dough, a trip belt--mechanism therefor, comprising an adjustable frame, an additional frame adapted to be demount ably secured in the first mentioned frame,

and a belt and devices for moving thesame mounted in the said additional frame, said operating devices for the belt having a driving gear, and the first mentioned frame having a coil of dough, a trip belt mechanism o therefor, comprising a frame hinged' to sWin in an arc for adjusting its position,

an a ditional frame, said first mentioned frame having guideways into which the additional frame may be slid and locked in place,- a pair of rolls and a belt in the additional frame, and planetary driving means for the said rolls.

7 In a machine of the character described, the combination with a casing, of a receiving roll, and sheet forming roll and coiling rolls mounted on fixed axes in said casing, a frame pivoted on the axis of the one coiling roll, and an additional receiving roll and sheet forming roll therein, means for adjusting said frame to bring the said rolls into desired spaced juxtaposition with the .fixed rolls of like character. a frame swung from the fixed sheet ,forming roll, a pair of f belt rolls and a belt thereon carried by said last mentioned frame, and means for adjusting the said frame to desired spaced juxtaposition with the pocket left between the coiling rolls to act as a trip therefrom. y FRANK X. LAUTERBUR. 

